Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-07-16
GENERAL NEWS.
The Chicago Convention
Hard at Work.
DEARTH OF RAILROAD METAL.
A Train Takes Fire and Num-
ber of the Passengers are
Burned to Death.
Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALE


Cove, Denver, President; James Y.
Garfield, Kansas, Secretary; Edwin
G. Hewitt, Illinois, Treasurer. Among
the Nice-Presidents is Fred T. Me-
Campbell, of California, and among the
Directors Ira G.. Hoitt, of California.
A paper on the place manual train
ing should occupy in Il system of pub
bic schools, "In Urban Communities
and in Large Towns" was read by
General Francis A. Walker, President
of the Massachusetts Institute of Tech
nology, Boston, Mass.
The following is an abstract OF his
remarks
As we pass from rural districts and
small villages to considerable towns
and to large cities, the need of manual
training for our youth increases rap
idly, while the difficulties of institut-
ing and maintaining instruction in
any one of the mechanic arts even
more rapidly diminish.
In the country the children of either
sex find abundant opportunities, both
in their work and in their play, for
acquiring knowledge of mechanical
operations and some skill in the use
of tools, while all the conditions and
surroundings of their life tend to de-
velop the perceptive powers, to create
habit of observation, and to give ex-
10 axyaor,t,x-n fnar1lfxr No
part of this is as well done as it would
be under systematic instruction and
direction; but what is gained in this
way is far better than nothing. In
the city opportunities of this character
are almost wholly wanting, and the
time that should be given to develop
ing this side of the child's nature is
either wasted in idleness and mischief
or is devoted to an excess of grammati-
cal, rhetorical, and dialectical prac-
tice, or to cramming the mind with
facts, names and dates, beyond the
power of mental digestion.
On the other hand, the difficulties
of providing proper instruction in the
mechanic art in small schools widely
scattered. and supported by compara-
lively poor communities, almost wholly
disappear in large and well-graded
schools in compact communities en-
joying the wealth and tax-paying
power which is generated by COM
merce and tianufactures. 1t is here,
only question whether this kind Of
instruction is really needed. If that
be admitted, there will not long he Il
question of the means of maintaining
it.. And in the larger towns and cities
it will be found that the cost of main
tanning the very best instruction of
this character will not be greatly in
excess of the cost of supporting the
simplest form of manual training in
smaller communities, inasmuch as the
initial charges for the more expensive
plant will be divided, with proper
organization of the service, among
q larger number of scholars. The
main question will here be as to OBJ
tanning the time requisite for thorough
and extended practice on this side of
the public schools.
1t is believed that the time required
can be obtained by the proper revision
of the traditional courses. Much of
this will involve no loss at all. A
great part at least, if not the whole,
of the inevitable loss to the old-fash-
ioned studies will be repaid by the
greater interest of pupils and parents
in school work, by the relaxation and
rest obtained through the exercise of
another set of faculties, and by the
great gain experienced in the study of
geometry, physics and elementary me-
chanics, through such practice.
The speaker then proceeded to
discuss the nature and order OF
such studies and exercises in the
mechanic arts as are appropri-
ate to the larger towns and cities.
In smaller towns such a scheme must
necessarily be modified, both as to
scope and to details, to suit the finan-
cial means of such communities.
M. A. Newell, Superintendent of
Schools of Baltimore, then read a
paper on the same subject but treated
it as applied in country districts. The
following is an abstract OF his re-
marks;'
Whatever arguments are brought
against industrial education in the
city apply with equal but no greater
force in the country. The country
school, as a means of moral and intel
lectual education, has the same pur-
pose as the city school; but must pur-
sue different methods. A school OF
five grades, with one teacher, cannot
be taught in precisely the say way as
school of ten grades with ten teach
ers. Yet the same objects are accom-
plished in both cases.
So with regard to hand-training.
The methods of the city may not be
applicable in the country, and yet
similar results may be obtained. Any
arguments, therefore, to show that
there can be no industrial education
in country schools because city meth
ods cannot be transferred, are simply
wasted.
1t is difficult to state precisely what
can be done for the training of the
hand in rural schools, because the
conditions and circumstances of such
schools differ so greatly, not only in
different States, but in different dis
tricts in the same State. 1t may be
stated, however,
|. The hand needs training and
discipline as well as the head and the
heart. do not say Gas much as"
nor "as long as !" but simply IN addi-
tiOR to.
III. The use of the pencil and the
pen for the purpose of writing and
drawing does not afford sufficient
hand-training during the period Of
school-life.
III. We have recorded instances
showing that effective hand-trainine
has been given in common country
schools.
". Wherever there is high school
there should be an "annex" for hand.
training.
V. Some form of hand-traing may
and should be introduced and encour
aged in every rural school.
Miss L. A. Fay, Superintendent o